Checklists are an integral part of ensuring adherence to standardized processes, such as OSSP (Organizational Standard Software Process) provided according to the Capability Maturity Model Integrations®—CMMI (i.e., the “model”). OSSP is the operational definition that guides the establishment of a common software process across all software projects in an organization. OSSP describes the fundamental software process elements that each software project is expected to incorporate into its defined software process. OSSP also describes the relationships (e.g., ordering and interfaces) between these software process elements.
Also, according to the model, the “project's defined software process” is well characterized and understood, and is described in terms of software standards, procedures, tools, and methods. It is developed by tailoring the organization's standard software process to fit the specific characteristics of the project.
As noted, adherence to project's defined software process is typically tracked with the use of checklists. A problem with implementing checklists currently in place is that their implementation is subjective. In other words, decisions regarding whether tasks or processes adequately adhere to the standardized process can vary based on the reviewer. Moreover, they fail to provide an effective mechanism for determining an objective measure of the adherence. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved checklist system and method for determining adherence to project's defined software process.